Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum has presented his proposed $845.8 million 2020 budget for the city.
The budget includes $289.8 million in general fund revenue. It continues efforts to bolster police department staffing, gives many workers substantial raises and boosts the city’s cash reserves from $2 million to $6 million to help with potential economic downturns.
The spending plan will cover another 90 new police officers to help bring Tulsa Police Department staffing to recommended levels. Bynum said over the past 20 years, the city has averaged about 30 new officers a year.
"To put these numbers in context, in the last two decades, the city has averaged about 30 new officers a year. Thanks to our budget priorities, over the last three years, we’ve funded the equivalent of nearly a decade’s worth of hiring in only three years," Bynum said.
Those new officers would be paid more. Bynum’s budget calls for starting salaries to go up $10,000, matching Oklahoma City. Current officers who qualify would get raises.
When it comes to Bynum's proposed Office of the Independent Monitor, funding is set to kick in Jan. 1, 2020, rather than July 1, 2019. Bynum said that will allow time to finalize the police oversight body's structure after discussions with the police union and other groups.
Many City of Tulsa employees are in for a raise. The budget includes an across-the-board increase of at least 10 percent for labor positions. Bynum said there are 150 vacancies for jobs like fixing park facilities, working on water and sewer lines, and maintaining city vehicles.
"This presents a critical shortage for us in delivering basic services to the citizens of Tulsa, so we have to be more competitive from a pay standpoint," Bynum said.
Starting pay for firefighters is also set to go up $5,000 to make Tulsa more competitive in hiring them.
The budget also includes funding for the parks department to hire two new maintenance workers and tackle some needed repairs.
The 2020 proposed budget is the first in a long time prepared without former city Finance Director Mike Kier, who died in December.
"The last time that a City of Tulsa budget was assembled without Mr. Kier’s supervision, Sen. Inhofe was Mayor Inhofe and Jimmy Carter was the president of the United States," Bynum said.
The city council must approve the budget at least seven days before June 30, the end of the current fiscal year. The council will likely approve it no later than June 19, its last regular meeting ahead of that deadline.
